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How to Create a Successful Trade Show

Trade Shows are organized events bringing together professionals, merchants and interested or qualified consumers. They are intense communication cycles, short term high impact gatherings that can make or break product launches, enhance PR campaigns, increase sales or put startup companies on the map. Thus they should be justly considered to be part of the overall marketing plan for any organization. In fact for many companies, Trade Shows are the only face to face contact they make with the general public and this makes them particularly important.

Trade Show investments can be modest or run into the millions, based on the type of show you are attending and the presence you want to make.

If you want to be successful, know your industry and consumer. Niche businesses may only have a handful of possible Trade Show venues to attend each year, thus the importance of having a presence becomes exemplified. Not making a presence often sends the message your corporation is not doing well, it is pulling back on its budget, it is planning a major shift or whatever other ideas the marketplace can concoct. It gives your competitors an open range to control the message your potential audience will buy into.

Why would your company make a presence at a Trade Show? To answer that question, you have to know what goals your corporation desires to obtain.

• To collect leads
• To sell product
• Forge strategic alliances
• PR
• Advertising the corporate image

Collecting leads – If you have a general product appealing to the average consumer’s interest, there is no limit to where your company name can show up. Some companies make a large presence in a small booth by having a raffle or giving away promotional items. This can also be a hap hazardous approach. Targeted leads pay off in the long, so make sure attendees have to invest a little time in order to qualify for whatever goodies they may get. Getting a few models to rustle in as many people as possible to fill out information usually creates cold leads. People become interested in the prize and not your product and at the end of the day, yes you will have lots of leads, but little to show for it.

Sell products. You can sell at most Trade Shows and if you can’t, use a credit card or phone in the orders. This is an excellent place to present material to an audience, on the show floor or at an offsite location. Many attendees are so busy in their everyday grind they never get around to getting the information needed to make a purchase. Away from their hectic schedule, Trade Show are the perfect place to become educated and begin or close the selling process. It is also a great place to give away software the consumer can purchase online

Strategic alliances – Trade Shows are often where the big deals are made. The movers and shakers are present. Large corporations often set up elaborate meeting rooms in the booth or off site. It is often the main reason hospitality suites and after show parties are given

PR – Everything about Trade Shows should suggest PR. Small companies can look big. Not making a presence can hurt a company’s image, especially if its competitors are there. If the competitors are not there, your company can make a bigger splash. You are telling customers and prospective customers they are important and you are an important part of their needs and desires.

Any of these reasons on their own can be sufficient to get your business to invest in having a presence at Trade Shows. Ultimately they are a communication vehicle and should be treated as such.

NEXT: Staffing Trade Shows

Last Update: July 18, 2011

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